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Ecuador volcano simmers, forcing more evacuations
Penipe, Ecuador (AFP) Feb 7, 2008 Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano rumbled and exploded for a second day Thursday, blanketing two villages with thick ash and forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes, authorities reported. The 5,029-meter (16,500-foot) Tungurahua, which means "throat of fire" in native Quechua language, first exploded into action on Wednesday after two years of quiet, forcing 1,450 people to abandon their homes. The Geophysical Institute said satellite photos of the volcano's lava-filled crater showed increasing activity that could lead to new, powerful explosions. The plume of ash that spewed out Thursday fell mostly on the villages of Puela and Choglontus, whose thousands of residents were evacuated with the army's help to safer areas, the institute said. Internal and External Security Minister Gustavo Larrea, who has been directing rescue efforts, said the volcano's latest explosions "are smaller than Wednesday's ... but that doesn't mean there couldn't be bigger ones in the next few hours." He said the entire region surrounding the volcano -- comprising 10 towns and villages with some 20,000 residents -- remained under a red alert, with all schools closed until further notice. Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa on Wednesday put the region under a state of emergency to release federal funds and assistance programs. The eruption of Tungurahua so far has caused no injuries or damage, outside of the tons of ash deposited on buildings and roads in the region. The volcano, located 135 kilometers (84 miles) south of Quito, has been active since last month, with up to 30 explosions, earthquakes or rumblings per hour that forced 1,000 people to relocate to safer areas. The current eruption, however, is similar to the August 2006 eruption that killed six people, buried several communities under ash and left 6,500 people homeless, the Geophysical Institute reported. Another eruption in 1999 forced all 15,000 residents of Banos to abandon their town for several months. Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
Ecuador volcano blows its top, forces 1,450 from homes
Quero, Ecuador (AFP) Feb 6, 2008Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano exploded into action Wednesday, spewing red-hot lava, rocks and a 10-kilometer (six-mile) high plume of ash that forced 1,450 people from their homes, officials said. |
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